NBA Trade Rumors: Denver Nuggets Could Swap Will Barton For Andre Iguodala, ‘NBA Canada’ Suggests
From the time the Golden State Warriors traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies, Andre Iguodala has been a part of various trade rumors. Iguodala may be able to help the Grizzlies mentor their young players, but most people don’t see him staying long in Memphis. At this point in his NBA career, Iguodala will definitely prefer spending his remaining years in the league playing for a legitimate title contender than staying on a rebuilding team like the Grizzlies.
Recently, Andre Iguodala’s camp and the Grizzlies reached an arrangement that the former Finals MVP won’t be attending the team’s media day nor report to the team’s training camp. However, instead of buying out his contract and letting him walk away as an unrestricted free agent, the Grizzlies are still hoping to get something valuable in return by making Iguodala available on the trade market. Iguodala may be expected to start the 2019-20 NBA season as a member of the Grizzlies, but he will likely receive plenty of trade interest before the February trade deadline.
According to Scott Rafferty of NBA Canada, one of the NBA teams who may consider adding Andre Iguodala to their roster is his former team, the Denver Nuggets. As Rafferty noted, Iguodala would be an upgrade in the Nuggets’ wing, giving them a defensive-minded veteran who has plenty of championship experience. Iguodala may no longer be in his prime, but adding him to the Nuggets’ core of Nikola Jokic, Paul Millsap, Gary Harris, and Jamal Murray would undeniably boost Denver’s chance of fully dominating the Western Conference and contending for the NBA championship next season.
“Being an excellent cutter, he would play well off of Nikola Jokic, who is arguably the best passing centre of all-time. Additionally, his versatility on defence would come in handy against the Clippers, Lakers and Houston Rockets, as he can match up with the likes of George, Leonard, James, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook.”
To acquire Andre Iguodala, Rafferty suggested that the Nuggets could explore sending a trade package centered on Will Barton to the Grizzlies. To make the deal work financially, the Nuggets would also need to add the likes of Juan Hernangomez and Malik Beasley.
“Being loaded at every position, it wouldn’t be difficult for the Nuggets to put together a trade package for Iguodala that would interest the Grizzlies. Barton, who is owed $13.0 million this season, would be a starting point, with Juan Hernangomez ($3.3 million) and Malik Beasley ($2.7 million) as possible add-ons.”
Andre Iguodala could indeed be an intriguing acquisition for the Nuggets. However, it remains a big question mark if Denver is really willing to give up precious trade assets for an aging veteran like Iguodala who may only be a one-year rental.
